Kicking off a new semester with IMER lunch seminars\, our fi
rst seminar this year is building on exciting fieldwork from Bergen. Hilde Danielsen from Uni Research Rokkansenteret is giving a p
resentation about the symbolic value of birthday parties in contemporary N
orway.

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Danielsen argues that birthday celebrations have become mor
e than a private family matter\, and are increasingly seen as a socially c
harged question in Norwegian society. Many parents with and without migrat
ion background\, as well as teachers and other actors\, claim that birthda
y parties have the potential to create social inclusion. They are especial
ly concerned that children with migrant background should celebrate and at
tend. Celebrating birthdays has seemingly become one of the litmus tests o
f whether an immigrant individual or an immigrant group is integrated into
Norwegian society.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work closely with refu
gees by providing services and assistance. However\, refugees might also b
e subjected to misconduct by NGOs. In such a scenario\, how can NGOs be he
ld accountable for wrongful acts?

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For this IMER lunch seminar\, Ma
rianne Nerland from the Faculty of Law at UiB will present preliminary fin
dings from her PhD project which explores recourses available to refugees
seeking justice against NGOs. By drawing on interviews conducted with refu
gees as well as aid workers in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya\, Marianne wil
l argue that there are serious legal obstacles that refugees face when wan
ting to file complaints against NGOs. This case highlights the need for an
enhanced structure for NGO accountability in refugee camps.